Look who just dropped by...

Hi Friends,
It's incredible who you bump into at airports. Emlyn just happened to be passing through and thought he would pop to Odessa just at the same time as us - what a coincidence !!!

For the uninitiated - Emlyn has consistently won 3 prizes...
1) The most Odessa trips on a working team
2) The heaviest case competition (I think Sergiy just got a hernia helping him up the stairs with it)
3) The most presents and goodies for our young friends.
It sounds like Emlyn has packed and unpacked with his military training precision a very many times, but only ever to take his own stuff out and include more stuff for our friends here. No wonder he is so loved in this neck of the woods. Pray that Emlyn will have his usual gift of encouragement to the good folk here, this is undeniably the greatest gift he has travelling around with him.
God is good, sleep well, I know Emlyn will be - man that case is HEAVY!!!!

Another wonderful day at Grace Church

Good evening friends,
Just wanted to give you a potted summary of a packed and joyfilled day before I crash!
Thank you those of you who have prayed for us today. We had a wonderful time thinking about the Holy Spirit and his desire to make us more like Jesus this morning. I was particularly encouraged by the amount of younger folk in the congregation who said it really connected with their hearts and lives - PRAISE GOD!. This morning there were 3 sermons and a extended Baby dedication.

 It was wonderful to hear Mum, Dad and Pastors pray. Another highlight for me was meeting Tim Murphy and his lovely family.

Tim is a wonderful brother in Christ from Kentucky, a retired GP, him and his wife (a dietician) come to Odessa for a couple of months at a time to work on a roving medical facility. The aim of the mission is to share the love of Christ with folk, and Tim has a passion for disicpling 1:1. Pray for my brother and his family, what they are doing is a marvellous thing after the heart of Christ. Also pray for their 2 young boys and little girl, all of whom are picking up Russian at a pace, and lovely company.

The highlight of the afternoon was being introduced to Black Ice-cream.

Peter has been tryong to feed it to me for days. When I finally took the plunge today (after changing out of my "Sunday best")  the cherry taste was gorgeous, but I am still trying to take the stains of my skin (- not exactly what they use to get it that black :).

This evening at church was the graduation of young people from Sunday school to youthwork. It was a great encouragemnt.

The young people sang, recited scripture, did drama. We also had 2 sermons, 1 from a young friend who preached his first sermon last time I was here (I was really encouraged by his development and the opportunity / encouragement he has been given). The second sermon was a typically warm hearted and well communicated sermon from our brother Roman Kalashnikoff on the theme of being filled with the Spirit.
All this was finished off with one of Alex's monster home made Pizza's . Alex is our hard working brother who cooks for the shelter every day of the year. As a trained chef, his skills bless many people, as a brother with a tireless servant heart he is always a challenge and encoruagement to me. As a friend he is a gem. Hearing of Ken's footy fascincation, he presented him with a commorateive plate from the fanshop of Odessa FC who play in the Ukranian premier league.  Ken's smile was too big for the camera but lets just say there is a display cabinet in Poole, Dorest which will soon be putting the precious gift on show.
We are looking forward to many things...
1) "Emile" *Emlyn Newman coming from Worcester tomorrow.
2) Working at the black sea again tomorrow.
3) Liz, Mo, Dad coming Tuesday
4) Seeing our Illinke church family Wednesday (a plant from grace church we have had the privelige of following and praying for from its inception as a pile of bricks)
5) Ian, Anna, Sam, Naomi and Sarah coming Thursday
6) Our 8 friends getting baptised next Sunday and the celebration at transition house.
7) The highlight of every trip our visit to see the children (I think Friday - the plans have changed a number of times)
Chat soon,
Much appreciation for all your encouragement and prayers,
BLOGSKI

A full week of progress in a superb location with outstanding people.

Hi friends, thanks for tuning in, and sending your encouragements / telling us you are praying. We are overwhelmed by the encouragement which means so much.

Due to the astounding progress at Transition House (Priyt), we relocated our working team to the Black Sea Camp. Our mission is to do as much as we can to complete the interior of a family accomodatoion block. The layout consists of 8 bedrooms (which can sleep 4 people in each) which are set out as 4 on either side of the building. This is seperated by a central aisle which will provide 8 seperate rooms- each alotted  to a bedroom - to provide 6 bathrooms and 2 storerooms.
This picture maybe gives an idea of the layout from the central channel (coridor at the moment).

 During the week the team has worked exceptionally well together. We have completed a number of stud walls. The proces goes something like this
1. We stand and scratch heads working out the plan
2. Dennis measures up and goes outside under the beating sun in a beautiful hat to chop  wooden planks with a table saw which would slice through granite.
3, To help  Dennis and Victor  (translator) accomlish (2) various bottoms take it in turn to sit on said wooden plank. We notice the plank is much more stable after we've filled up from lunch - Svetta and Ekatya are feeding us far too much nice food.
4. Ken bores holes in cut planks.
5. Paul exercises anger management and belts massive nails into cut cross members and tries to build an accurate resemblance of a straight and right angled structure. In the main we are succeeding (especially if you squint , stand on one leg and can find a "straighter" plank to start with.
6. We then fill the wall with double core insulation (much needed in the severe winter and clear nights)
7. We then measure plaster board to cover what resembles an explosion in a candy floss factory.
8. We then present the board to the wall
9. We then remeasure the board, wondering where we got the first measurement from and if we are standing in the same room as we started (A number of us have got confused at the labyrinth once or twice).
10 We then ty again and hey presto with a multitude of screws (which resemble a gnat invasion) the drywall looks complete and ready for plastering when we jolly off.

I managed to take a little film of Ken finishing off one of the rooms. Obvioulsy he is sitting down as he has spent most of his day using his natural gifing to reach the higher stuff none of the rest of us can reach. Sadly his drill had so much power it made the room spin - so sorry if it makes you dizzy.

 We have had a superb week. We have started each morning enjoying working through John's gospel together. Our theme has been "knowing Jesus and making him known." Our hosts noted that the steps from higher to lower level were a lot to ask of a guy who has spent all day chopping wood... and other VICTOR (we call him big VIC but they are both pretty big) takes mercy on us and transpoerts us to meals on the lower level. Mealtimes have been filled with laugher. With any spare energy KEN has been practicing his Ronaldo impression with 3 lads staying at the camp. We have completed walls on about 5 rooms. and started another 2, and the central bathrooms.
Now back at transition house I have been asked to preach tomorrow as the church concludes a thematic systematic study on the Work of the Holy Spirit. The theme given is the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Please pray it is (anointed) and an encouragement to folks here and not just a bunch of notes cobbled together in a minibus and a tired day off.
I'll leave you with one of my favourite views of the week...
2 of the very best mates a guy could ever wish for, sitting enjoying the canvas of their creator whilst absolutely shot to pieces after serving with glad hearts and worn-out fingers.

If you are watching the little footy match from accross the park here in Ukraine, I hope you get the result you wanted. If you are doing something even more exciting I hope you have a great weekend. Speak soon, much love,
BLOGSKI

God is at work in ways beyond our understanding.

Good evening dear friends. I write at the end of a long but awesomely joyful and fruitful day. The 3 of us started the day by kicking off our studies in the book of John. It's a book which teaches us to know God in Jesus Christ, and helps us to make him known to others.

The truth about JESUS as shown to us in Ch1 -(you've gotta read it if you never have... )  is mindbending in it's extremities. We find on one hand - the hugeness of who Christ is, HE IS THE WORD - the one who existed before all things, the one who is the source of all life, the reason behind all existance, and the one who spoke us into existance. In him was life itself, Yet contrasted with the sepremecy, majesty and otherness of GOD is the gift of his intimacy towards us. This creator God who brought this world (and you and me) into existance did so for realtional reasons. He wants you and me to enjoy his power, his holiness, his love, his perfection, his joy, life giving together with him. The same God who created this world came into his creation relationally. Jesus Christ came to you and me as the light of the world. He reveals not only that our ultimate reason for living is him, but also that his reason for living and dying was to rescue us and reconect us to live with him. The Christian joy is that every new day is given to know God in the forgivness, and resurection power of Jesus Christ.

In a small room on the 4th floor of transition house, 3 blokes in their working gear were exceptionally joyful and overwhelmed, as we were reminded that we are loved by the authorand sustainer of life himself. There is no better way to start the day, than remembering the one who loves us and gave himself for us.

Today was a working day. We were enabled by God's help to complete 7 double doorway surrounds, 9 window surrounds and the decorative ceiling architrave for the two large basement halls.  We returned into the basement after evening meal to finish off some small jobs. We did so gladly and without expectation or cumpulsion, we are excited by how it looks, and genuinely thrilled with what we managed to achieve today. The guys will really sleep well toniight.  This however is nothing compared to what God has enabled his people to achieve here during our absence. I will not spoil the surrprise with photos yet, mainly because we are putting the final touches on what is a bit of a masterpiece canvas down in the basement. Peter would not forgive me if I  showed photos before the final consumate touches were completed. The standard (especially of the large communal hall) is exceptional. Everwhere oozes class. It is  a labour of love. Some hotels would be exceptionally jealous! My heart skipped a beat when I saw what young people will get to enjoy here. Prsaise GOD.
We are so grateful for our Ukrainian friends we work with. They are top notch guys of humility, hard work and good humour. They also work hard all day understanding our colloqial english. "Okay DOKY!, has become a shared cross cultural expression.

Tomorrow I will be going off air until Friday. This is for a number of vslid reasons. One of those reasons will become self explanitary to private friends on another blog. Another reason is that we have brought forward our work at the Black sea camp. A number of us will be working on inner walls of the family block. We have chosen to do this now without internet access there to be helpful to our hosts. Please do pray for this venture that we have success and that many young people will come to know their reason for living and certain hope in that place in the future.

Thank you for remembering us, it means so much. We finish the day as we started. Remembering that the one who does more than we can think or imagine is operating here. He is enabling his people , as they pray (before each activity, break, and work time) to become fruitful in his purposes. As they live for him, and look to serve him, they find their joy purpose and pleasure. We too have joined in with that Joy today. Jesus Christ is not only the reason we live and have life to the full, he is the one we want to live for. There is no pleasure greater than living for him.

Chat soon after our working trip, praying for you as you pray for us.
Much love,
BLOGSKI

Happy Sunday from a hot Odessa.
We have enjoyed a superb 24 hours since arriving. Welcomed as family, the chat around the meal table vintage as we exchanged greetings from many of you I know would love to be here. Today is a rest day with many joy filled conversations and precious moments with our friends at grace church. The church is 25 years old and it is like a fine and expensive wine (not that I've ever been able to afford that), it just gets better and better. Here are two highlights...

 

Chat more soon,
Blokski

Small people on big business YNWA

Today is like Christmas Eve was as a kid. There's no point in going to bed - I won't get any sleep anyway!!! I'm too excited, and besides... what's the point when you need to leave by 3am and you have your mates over for a sleepover? O.K when I say "mates" yes I am referring to 2 Septuagenarians, but don't underestimate the fun involved. 
We'll try not to keep the dog awake too long.

A Saturday like any other ?
As we drive at 3 - there won't be much going on in our world will there? There's a woman called Meghan who'll be excited about her new frock (also struggling to sleep because the world is watching her). There will be Liverpool fans dreaming of also going to Ukraine, and lifting the Champions league trophy in Kiev. In this world's interests, 3 blokes getting on a plane (with a good selection of knee pads and lots of sweets / little gifts for children) wouldn't rank well on Huffington post. BUT.., I believe we're part of something really big - GOD's PLANS.

GOD has a plan for this world which is far greater than what can be seen or touched. A new beginning and a certain future for every person who will trust in him. He is gathering people together from every background, country, language and ethnic mix to sing a new song of joy. A song of mess forgiven, of reconciliation with their maker, and a certain hope for this life and the next, This is a song louder than any bunch of scousers can sing (and boy they can sing!). It is a song that will never stop because it is conducted by the maker of this cosmos who came into his creation, to live with us, love us, lay his life down for our eternal safety, and then take it up again to defeat death and the enemies of GOD for eternal resolution. That's BIG!!! It is this big plan which has united us with God's family in Ukraine. 

We are so obviously small people in the grand scheme of things, with very limited gifts and often failing abilities. In Christ however we are on a mission which will reap big results. We offer small prayers but in faith to a big GOD who can do immeasurably more than we can think or imagine. So we go with full and expectant hearts.

This will be a time to thank God for his amazing provision over 10 years and to look forwards to what he will do in the lives of 60 or so young people who come to find shelter not just with our friends in FONTANKE, but we hope also in the loving arms and care of the one who controls all things. 

Our mission is clear...
ENCOURAGE - We hope to encourage those who spend their energies doing wonderful things in the name of Jesus Christ for those folk this world has no time for. We hope that some small gifts, some finance for building materials, some time spent on our knees laying some laminate, laying a few tiles and building the odd bathroom might encourage them to keep going.

BE THANKFULL - We want to give our praise to a GOD who has supplied our every need - quite miraculously at times. We go with the attitude of gratitude not least because an insurmountable project has become a completed one.

LOOK TO THE FUTURE - With the building phase complete, our relationship is just getting going for the true work seeing young lives changed for the better and set on a good course for many years to come. We want to find out in what ways we could be helpful in the future as the real work starts. 

On June 3rd transition house opens (officially for the first time) and we will celebrate. Not just the completion of this work, but those new family friends who will baptised in Church and have become part of this amazingly Big story. Then we will move on to what can be done at the Black Sea camp.

Please come with us via this blog - we will do our best (when wifi and 3g allow) to keep you well updated.
Please pray - 

• Pray for Dennis and Ken who need to endure me for 18 days. 
• Pray for Mo, David, Liz and Emlyn as they join us in week 2.
• Pray for our health and strength please, our ability to get a lot done. 

In the big scheme of things we are small people, a small team but we are on a mission for our great GOD. As we walk up the plane steps I am tempted even as an Evertonion to sing the anthem from across Stanley Park. I do not walk alone, I walk with an army of wonderful people who work with us (sending gifts, praying, coming with us (over 80 have come out on these trips)) and most importantly we walk in the purposes of a God who comes with us. 

If you have a boring Saturday planned, or just a few snacks stocked up for a day in front of a glass screen... remember that in these things we are part of something much bigger. Thank you so much for being with us. 
Walk on with hope in your heart, not blind optimism but firm conviction that GOD is fulfilling his purposes in history, and every day you are alive is one step further in his plans. 

Catch up soon, 
BIG LOVE BLOKSKI

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.                       (2 Cor 4:18)